Method of and apparatus for compressing vapors



Nov. 28, 1950 c. D. CHASE 2,532,267

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 28, 1950 c. 0. CHASE 2,532,267

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS 2,532,267 METHOD OF ANDAPPARATUS FOR cowmsssmc VAPORS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 C. D. CHASE Nov. 28,1950 3 Sheets-Shet s Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEMETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS Curtis 1). Chase, Bighton, Mass, assignoi; to BostonMarine Works, Inc., Boston, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application February 9, 1948 Serial No. 75275 7* laims; (01. 62-115) This invention relates to a methodandapparatus for compressing vapors or gases and. is characterized in thatthe fluid which is to be vaporized is used as the compression medium forcompressing the vapor or gas.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple means of compressingthe vapors or gases without the necessity of maintaining tight workingjoints between metallic surfaces.

Anothercbjec-t is a simple mechanism for compressing the vapors or gaseswithin the vapor section of an evaporator.

A further object is to maintain a cylindrical body of fluid ofpredetermined size about the compression areas of the vapor section ofthe evaporator so as to provide the compression medium.

Another object is to automatically control the volume and the size ofthis body of fluid by introducing fluid at the center of the fluid bodyand maintaining a predetermined size of the fluid body by automaticallydischarging any surplus fluid. 1

Another object is tomaintain the inside diameter of said fluid bodysubstantially constant at all times and under all conditions ofoperation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thisdescription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings wherei I have disclosed a preferredapparatus for the practice of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my apparatus.

Figure am an enlarged view of the vapor section of the evaporator, and bFigure 3 is a section on the line S--3 oi Fig, 2.

I- have indicated generally at It a conventional evaporator comprisingupper and lower tube sheets H and I2, shell 13; head I4, and tubes l5.

Surmounting evaporator ill is a vapor section indicated generally at iiand consisting of shell 48-; flange i8; and supporting head 19 bolted toflange [8 as at 20.

Bolted as at 21 to head is is a compression unit consisting of acylindrical shell 22 and a removable cover 23 assembled thereto as bythe cap screws 24.

Shell 22 is preferably a casting provided with an upwardly extendingcylindrical portion 25 which is eccentric to the shell 22 and is coredto provide at its bottom spaced openings 26 and 253- and near its top isprovided with a: pair of ports :6 and 21'.

Rotatable-axially about member 25 is ai hub 2 23 provided with aplurality ei spaced radially extending partitions or walls 2 9 formingchambers which are enclosed at the top and bottom ends of hub 28- by thepartitions 3i.

In the rotation of 'hub 28 about member 25, each chamber 36 successivelycommunicates with the ports 26' and 21 by means of ports 32 formed inthe center of the hub.

Hub 23 extends beyond supporting plate 23 and is sealed by means of aconventional stuinng box consisting of a packing 33, gland 34, and studs35, and is keyed and bolted as shown to the driving shaft 36 of a motoror other power source M.

If desired, 1 may secure to the bottom of member 22 spacedeccentric butaxially parallel cylindrical members 3? and 38 which constitute a vaportrap. Inner member 38 communicates at its upper end with passage 2-! andis openat its lower end toouter member 31-. Outer memher 3? is closed.at its bottom and lhas openings 39 in its side wall communicating withthe vapor chamber 4!! defined by shell t8 and member 22.

Connecting with passage 25 is tube 4! which passes through tube sheet II and discharges into evaporator chamber 42.

The operation. is as follows:

Assuming that evaporator chamber 42 is filled with fluid which haspreviously been evaporated to the level indicated at 45', andalsofluidunder pressure has been admitted through pipe #13130 thechamber 45 which is defined by lower tube sheet I2 and head [4 and withwhich chamber the tubes [5 communicate at their lower ends. The fluidfrom chamber M passes along tubes i5 into vapor chamber 48- until itreaches a predetermined level indicated at 46 in Fig. 1.-

For starting purposes auxiliary heat from any suitable heat source (notshown) is applied to the fluid in chamber 44 and vaporizes this fluid,filling chamber with hot vapors.

Part of the fluid below level is withdrawn through pipe 41 by pump 43and pumped through pipe into the compression chamber 50: which isdefined by members 22 and 28,- entering said chamber through inletopening 5| in supporting head 23 and being immediately acted upon by thecentrifugalfo-rce developed by the rotation of members 23,. 29 and 3|,forming a cylindrical body or ring of fluid 52 within member 22;

When this body or ring of fluid attains a predetermined internaldiameter, some of thefl'uid isexpelled by centrifugal'force throughdischarge 53- in head 23 and is returned through pipe 54 to chamber-i44-. Y

This operation is continuous and automatic and insures that the body offluid 52 is maintained at maximum compressing position. This body orring of fluid 52, being located eccentrically to the rotating members28, 29, and 3!, forms increasing areas 55 thereby sucking the vaporsfrom chamber 40 through inlets 39, 21 and 2'! and ports 32 into areas55. As soon as each area 55 passes the center of eccentricity of member25 said area 55 decreases in size (see Fig. 3) thus compressing the hotvapor within area 55 between the fluid ring 52 and the hub member 28 anddischarges through ports 32, 25, 26 and tube 4! into evaporator chamber42 above level 45. This hot compressed vapor discharged into chamber 42gives up its heat of compression by contact with tubes containing theincoming fluid to be compressed thus creating more vapor from saidfluid.

The product of this operation may be taken off through pipe 56 and sentto any suitable storage chamber (not shown).

In a typical installation, I found that by using the fluid to beevaporated as the compression medium, heat losses were reduced to theminimum and that the internal compression .unit mounted within theevaporator greatly increased the over-all efliciency of the apparatus.

Various modifications in method and apparatus may obviously be resortedto within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for compressing vapors or gases, comprising a compressorhaving a stationary casing member and an internal rotary member, saidrotary member being provided with a plurality of spaced ports around itscircumference and said casing member having a portion extending axiallyinto said rotary member and provided with spaced ports for successiveregistration with the ports of the rotary member to establish suctionand compression areas about the circumference of said axial extension,said axial extension also having an inlet and an outlet passage, a vaporsection surrounding said compressor and having a vapor chamber withwhich said inlet passage communicates, an evaporator section associatedwith said vapor section and having an evaporator chamber with I whichsaid outlet passage communicates, means for supplying fluid to saidevaporator section for evaporation therein, means for withdrawing aportion of the evaporated fluid from said evaporator section andutilizing it as a compression medium by sending it to the compressor,and means for returning any excess fluid to the evaporator section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, and means for establishing a cylindricalfluid ring eccentrically of the rotary member of the compressor, andmeans for controlling the size and internal diameter of the fluid ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for controlling the sizeand internal diam- I:

eter of said fluid ring consists of an inlet and an outlet acted upon bycentrifugal force, the inlet being so located as to increase the sizeand diameter of the fluid ring and the outlet being so located as todecrease the size and diameter of the fluid ring.

4. The method of compressing vapors or gase consisting in the followingsteps: suppling fluid to be vaporized to an evaporator vessel, using aportion of the evaporated fluid as a compression medium by withdrawingthe same from the evaporator vessel and sending it to a compressorconsisting of a stationary casing member and an internal rotary member,establishing by centrifugal force a cylindrical fluid ring eccentricallyof the rotary member, controlling the size and internal diameter of saidfluid ring by means of an inlet and an outlet acted upon by centrifugalforce, the inlet increasing the size and diameter of the fluid ring andthe outlet decreasing the same whereby to maintain substantiallyconstant the internal diameter of said ring, returning any excess fluidto the evaporator vessel, and sending from the compressor substantiallyall of hot compressed vapors or gases to the evaporator vessel wherebyto heat the incoming fluid in said vessel and create more vapor or gasfrom said fluid.

5. In apparatus having a vapor chamber and an evaporator chamber, acompressor within the vapor chamber and discharging into the evaporatorchamber, means for supplying fluid to the vapor chamber, means forutilizing a part of the evaporated fluid as a compression medium bysending it to the compressor, and means for sending the hot compressedvapors or gases from the compressor in heat exchanging relation to thevapor chamber for heating the incoming fluid in said chamber and therebycreating more vapors or gases from said fluid.

6. Apparatus for compressing vapors or gases comprising a vapor chamberadapted to receive liquid to be vaporized; an evaporator chamber in heatexchanging relation with the vapor chamher; a compressor adapted to drawvapor from the vapor chamber, to compress and thereby to heat saidvapor, and to discharge said vapor into the evaporator chamber, wherebyliquid in the vapor chamber is vaporized under reduced pressure, thecompressed hot vapor in the evaporator chamber serves to heat the liquidin the vapor chamber thereby promoting vaporization of the liquid in thevapor chamber, and the vapor in the evaporator chamber condenses leavinga residue of liquid in the evaporator chamber; and means for utilizing apart of the condensed liquid in the evaporator chamber as a compressionmedium by sending it to the compressor.

'7. Apparatus for compressing vapors having in combination a vaporchamber adapted to receive liquid to be vaporized, an evaporator chamberin heat exchanging relation to the vapor chamber, a compressor withinthe vapor chamber adapted to compress and thereby to heat vapor in thevapor chamber and to discharge the said compressed vapor into theevaporator chamber, whereby the compressed vapor in the evaporatorchamber serves to heat the liquid in the vapor chamber thereby promotingvaporization of the same, and the vapor in the evaporator chambercondenses leaving a residue of liquid in the evaporator chamber andmeans for utilizing liquid in said compressor in part as the compressionmedium.

CURTIS D. CHASE.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,766,591 Bingham June 24, 19301,643,311 Abbott, Jr. Feb. 2, 1932 2,256,201 Hintze Sept. 16. 1941

